I’ve seen people say that they found that cringe but I feel like it’s more natural, maybe because I watch anime. I don’t want to be the cringy gaijin and I what to be as natural as possible, so can japanese people answer me ?
I’m not native but it seems to be very common to use it (in casual speech). I also do use it (in casual speech), but more instinctively than because I was told to use it.
It’ll depend on context. For me boku just feels more natural, but if you’re among close friends and feeling confident go for ore 🙂
It’s important to note that the pronoun you use will depend on a context. If you’re screaming at someone “I explained this to you six times already!” you will not use boku because it’d sound ridiculous.
But using ore when saying “I would like to ask for an extension on the deadline” would sound equally stupid.
No, boys start using it from a very young age. However they also get taught when not to use it which is why textbooks and other language learning materials stick with words that can be used in any situation.
For the same reason textbooks start with a lot of desu/masu sentences.
I wouldn’t use it in a business setting but it’s perfectly normal to use elsewhere. In fact it might be more natural in some situations than “僕” (boku)
No, it’s very common. Boku is seen as being youthful or boyish, ore is more brash and macho. It depends on which you feel is more fitting to represent yourself with. Some people will use either one depending on the context. For example, popular singer Gackt often uses “boku” for his lyrics, but in interviews says “ore”. They are both acceptable, just determine the appropriate context as others have said. “Watashi” is always the go-to in professional or other very formal situations. But in your personal life with people you know or online, either is generally fine.
According to my wife it’s very cringe if I say it
These days ore is very common even in cases where it would have been considered inappropriate in the past. Personal pronouns are generational trends, so whether they’re popular with the younger or older crowd changes as the people using them age.
Unfortunately the answer is: it depends. Alot of my Japanese friends use 俺 and 僕. I personally use 僕. The whole thing about certain age groups using certain words to refer to themselves does hold some weight but there aren’t any concrete rules to these language specific things. For example I’ve heard a 50 something year old lawyer call himself 僕, I’ve heard highschoolers and university students say 俺, I’ve heard older salary men used both. Also it depends on how fluent your Japanese is to some extent.
Not at all.
I wonder about when to use all of these honourifics a lot.
My wife (Japanese) calls all of her friends chan, most of the men kun – and tells me to do the same, but maybe it’s my Scandinavian distancing that makes me mostly say san – it feels more comfortable. I feel like her friends also mainly refer to me as san. I am also a couple of years older than most of them…
Unless you are very good at speaking Japanese, and know the little social details that determine if you say Watashi, Boku or Ore, then I would recommend just going with watashi – it is the one thing that *never* makes you sound like you are trying too hard. When you start to notice “ahh, here it would be appropriate to use ore”, then it is probably appropriate.
In my experience it depends very much on who you are with, the vibe, context and how well you know everyone. It’s not simple, and I think the only way to learn is to understand the language well, and interact naturally with Japanese natives – possibly asking them sometimes if it is appropriate to use x in this situation. Mostly they will be like “hmmmmmmmmmm yeah maybe” 😉
The problem with “俺” is that it can sound quite off when used together with the otherwise textbook grammar taught to students.
It’s a bit like the English word “mate”; there’s nothing wrong with it, but it can stick out immensely if used in an otherwise formal sentence such as the ones one would on Reddit mate.
There are situations where 俺 comes off as arrogant, pompous, and/or grating. But this might vary by discussion topic, age group, place, audience, where people were raised, etc.
If you have any doubts, I found using 私 always sounds fine. When you get more comfortable speaking with Japanese people, you will get a feeling for when 僕 is appropriate. I rarely used 俺 but YMMV.
In any case, I sense the Japanese speakers use the personal pronouns less frequently than English speakers do. Somebody here will know that better.
Saying 俺 is as cringe as saying “cool” in English. Is it cringe in certain contexts depending on how you say it or even *who* says it? Yes, absolutely. Is it cringe on its own? No, it’s an incredibly natural word that people use all the time.
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I’m not native but it seems to be very common to use it (in casual speech). I also do use it (in casual speech), but more instinctively than because I was told to use it.
It’ll depend on context. For me boku just feels more natural, but if you’re among close friends and feeling confident go for ore 🙂
It’s important to note that the pronoun you use will depend on a context. If you’re screaming at someone “I explained this to you six times already!” you will not use boku because it’d sound ridiculous.
But using ore when saying “I would like to ask for an extension on the deadline” would sound equally stupid.
No, boys start using it from a very young age. However they also get taught when not to use it which is why textbooks and other language learning materials stick with words that can be used in any situation.
For the same reason textbooks start with a lot of desu/masu sentences.
I wouldn’t use it in a business setting but it’s perfectly normal to use elsewhere. In fact it might be more natural in some situations than “僕” (boku)
No, it’s very common. Boku is seen as being youthful or boyish, ore is more brash and macho. It depends on which you feel is more fitting to represent yourself with. Some people will use either one depending on the context. For example, popular singer Gackt often uses “boku” for his lyrics, but in interviews says “ore”. They are both acceptable, just determine the appropriate context as others have said. “Watashi” is always the go-to in professional or other very formal situations. But in your personal life with people you know or online, either is generally fine.
According to my wife it’s very cringe if I say it
These days ore is very common even in cases where it would have been considered inappropriate in the past. Personal pronouns are generational trends, so whether they’re popular with the younger or older crowd changes as the people using them age.
Unfortunately the answer is: it depends.
Alot of my Japanese friends use 俺 and 僕. I personally use 僕. The whole thing about certain age groups using certain words to refer to themselves does hold some weight but there aren’t any concrete rules to these language specific things. For example I’ve heard a 50 something year old lawyer call himself 僕, I’ve heard highschoolers and university students say 俺, I’ve heard older salary men used both. Also it depends on how fluent your Japanese is to some extent.
Not at all.
I wonder about when to use all of these honourifics a lot.
My wife (Japanese) calls all of her friends chan, most of the men kun – and tells me to do the same, but maybe it’s my Scandinavian distancing that makes me mostly say san – it feels more comfortable. I feel like her friends also mainly refer to me as san. I am also a couple of years older than most of them…
Unless you are very good at speaking Japanese, and know the little social details that determine if you say Watashi, Boku or Ore, then I would recommend just going with watashi – it is the one thing that *never* makes you sound like you are trying too hard. When you start to notice “ahh, here it would be appropriate to use ore”, then it is probably appropriate.
In my experience it depends very much on who you are with, the vibe, context and how well you know everyone. It’s not simple, and I think the only way to learn is to understand the language well, and interact naturally with Japanese natives – possibly asking them sometimes if it is appropriate to use x in this situation. Mostly they will be like “hmmmmmmmmmm yeah maybe” 😉
The problem with “俺” is that it can sound quite off when used together with the otherwise textbook grammar taught to students.
It’s a bit like the English word “mate”; there’s nothing wrong with it, but it can stick out immensely if used in an otherwise formal sentence such as the ones one would on Reddit mate.
There are situations where 俺 comes off as arrogant, pompous, and/or grating. But this might vary by discussion topic, age group, place, audience, where people were raised, etc.
If you have any doubts, I found using 私 always sounds fine. When you get more comfortable speaking with Japanese people, you will get a feeling for when 僕 is appropriate. I rarely used 俺 but YMMV.
In any case, I sense the Japanese speakers use the personal pronouns less frequently than English speakers do. Somebody here will know that better.
Saying 俺 is as cringe as saying “cool” in English. Is it cringe in certain contexts depending on how you say it or even *who* says it? Yes, absolutely. Is it cringe on its own? No, it’s an incredibly natural word that people use all the time.
How confident are you?